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City Four
Around 874 AD, a group of Vikings misread their map whilst navigating the Norwegian sea, the combination of the current and wind setting their boats off course and sailing them into Iceland, where they left a few settlers later on. Almost a little more than a Millennium later, the same thing happened, except this time it was the Universal Union that accidentally discovered the location of Earth shortly after the Black Mesa incident occurred. They too decided to inhabit the lands, after merely stepping onto the planet, just as the Vikings did off their boats in 874; Unchallenged. Earth fell in hours, the same amount of time it took for the Nordic people to establish a beachhead. From one species to the next, this globe of blue and green now waved under the banner of a red and black multidimensional empire. Not even this little island escaped the eyes of the "benefactors" to our species. Soon the supplies were shipped, and within days the citizens of Reykjavik could see the Citadel just as clearly as those from City 17. Or at least their version. It was a pain at first, the people there laughed for a while as they knew only stone would hold against the strongest winds on planet earth. Their churches made of stone, the last of the wind turbines before having been blown over like a leaf in the fall. Eventually, after an enduring amount of time, they managed to make it. Though it certainly wasn't easy. The City was soon named City Four, and many citizens from around the globe were sent here to occupy this vast city. After all, not even half a million individuals occupied this floating hunk of ice before the war. Now it was ready to house millions. Though it was cold, it was hospitable. Many didn't stay outdoors for too long. It looked almost like the others, but the frost would always tint the metal with some light blue or white patches, the glass almost impossible to see through on the storefronts. For once the sight of smoke was pleasant, providing warmth to the people below. Though they soon grew wary that these changes were not for the betterment of the human race... For many years the inhabitants of Iceland, descendants of the Scandinavians from Norway adapted to the harsh, cold weather. However, the Union did not. From the first days of occupation, they found it difficult simply due to the frostbite that would ensue year round. The fact that in the winter the daytime would last two hours was also irritating as it complicated required tasks within most districts of the City. The technology the Union brought were marvellous inventions made by a massive, multi galactic empire spanning across the stars. However, it wouldn’t last long against the Islands weather. The large Breencasts would often freeze during broadcasts, forcing a maintenance crew to fix it. Lots of the wiring, glass, and metal would freeze over, causing the doors the Union placed to jam often. The standard weapons provided to the Civil Protection, such as the MP7 and USP Match would freeze often, rendering them useless from being unable to fire. Even the stun sticks would have issues flicking on in the snowy climate. The life of the citizens didn’t get any better either. Proper winter attire was hard to find in a City that was holding over triple the amount of maximum civilians it was originally intended to hold. People would get frostbite in minutes, and the infrastructure would do an appalling job at keeping those inside warm. Many resorted to creating fire with old trash, wood, and even coal to last for a night. The standard rations distributed also didn’t last long, as they either froze or failed to meet proper standards in this region. The outlands were vast here, and the Union never bothered to monitor it much as they figured most that left the City would be deceased shortly after. While this was true, it only helped resistance movement flourish deep within the mountains. This lead to now. Will the citizens adapt, or will the cold freeze over? Ever since day one in this city, the Union had been quick to adapt the citizens to the new way of life. You’d awake to a typical morning of speeches, cold air, and propaganda posters on the walls within your hallway. It is no secret that The Union loves broadcasting to their citizens, and it’s no different in City Four. The changes were Jurassic to Reykjavik. The airport was soon converted into a launchpad for RS-94 rockets, able to reach both North America and Europe in under twenty minutes, with the intent of destroying any city that had intentions against those of the Universal Union. The Hallgrímskirkja church, one of the countries landmarks, was soon converted into one of the cities largest hardpoints, garrison dozens of Civil Protection officers within it. The bottled water plant was converted into a gunship factory. Soon after, all the local markets were made into industrial complexes made for citizens to work in during cycles. Though the Union claimed most of these changes for the better progression of humanity, many began to doubt this from the start. Due to the location of the city, it was one of the few that received specialized equipment for most of the Union forces within the area. Civil Protection units would receive special padding designed to endure the cold, windy environment that surrounded them. They began to import heating systems from all around the globe, in an attempt to keep the city warm after it was nearly destroyed in the Seven Hour War. Lots of machinery came from what was left of Scandinavia, or modified Union machinery, in order to keep structural integrity present within the city. The strong winds of the country, which could reach upwards of 40+ MPH, became an issue when building. The Union didn’t realise that any structure that wasn’t stone/concrete above three stories would get blown over during construction, so they had to build the walls almost double as thick to keep it from denting or deteriorating in the harsh winter environment. Of course, they didn’t bother much with modifying the infrastructure for the citizens below them. Few apartments received any sort of heating system or modernisation, leaving them to be destroyed by either the frost or the wind. When they tried to expand some of them upwards, they would collapse within days. Most now preferred the underground than an igloo apartment to sit in after a days work.